By Dennis Okechukwu
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has called for stronger collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force ahead of the 2027 general elections, stressing that security remains crucial to the success of the electoral process.
Amupitan made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on Wednesday in Abuja, where he formally sought police support for the conduct of the polls.
Describing security as both the “first mile and the last mile” of elections, the INEC chairman said the commission had already begun preparations for the 2027 general elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, and February 6, 2027, for governorship and state assembly polls.
He noted that the release of the election timetable and ongoing activities by political parties, including ward congresses and conventions, had effectively activated the electoral process and heightened security concerns nationwide.
According to him, political parties are expected to conduct their primaries in line with Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2026, which permits only direct primaries and consensus arrangements for candidate nominations.
Amupitan also highlighted the importance of the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti State and Osun State, alongside several bye-elections across the country, describing them as key tests for Nigeria’s democratic system.
He warned that electoral malpractices, vote-buying, political violence and insecurity continue to undermine public confidence in elections and threaten national stability.
“The scale of insecurity across various parts of the country presents a threat to the conduct of free and fair elections,” he said, while calling for proactive security risk assessments and intelligence-led operations ahead of the polls.
The INEC chairman emphasized the role of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), describing it as the “heartbeat” of operational safety during elections. He urged security agencies to move from reactive policing to proactive intelligence coordination to safeguard voters, election personnel and electoral materials.
Responding, the IGP assured INEC of the readiness of the police to provide adequate security throughout the 2027 electoral process.
Disu said the Force had already commenced strategic threat assessments and intelligence mapping nationwide to identify possible flashpoints and emerging threats before the elections.
According to him, political violence, illegal arms proliferation, voter intimidation, cyber manipulation, misinformation and attacks on electoral infrastructure had been identified as priority security concerns.
The police chief pledged that officers deployed for election duties would act professionally and impartially, warning that personnel found engaging in partisan activities or unethical conduct would face disciplinary measures.
“We will ensure that we enforce electoral laws firmly and professionally,” Disu said.
He also called for early dissemination of the election timetable to aid operational planning, logistics coordination and inter-agency cooperation, while revealing plans for joint security trainings, stakeholder engagements and peace accords involving political parties ahead of the elections.
Disu added that officers selected for election assignments would undergo intensive training in electoral security management, human rights compliance, crowd control and ethical conduct to ensure peaceful and credible elections across the country.
&#&#&#&#